Wishes
by SeparateWaysTogether
Summary: Advanceshipping Week 2017! Themes: Stargazing, wishes, dark, light.


**AN: I've been super busy with assignments and stuff recently... but since it's Advanceshipping Week, I felt like I had to join in (a little late and rushed, admittedly... sorry if there's a bunch of mistakes but I'm so desperate to post!). This is the first Advanceshipping story I've ever posted, even though I've been shipping and writing them for as long as I can remember! I've tried to encorporate as many of the themes as I can, so I really hope you enjoy it!** -

 **Wishes**

 ** _The Kanto Region_**

The patter of the rain woke Ash up gently, his uncovered arms registering the cold before anything else. He shuddered, burying himself deeper into his sleeping bag. He reached over to his side for Pikachu and found nothing. He panicked initially, but quickly reassured himself that his buddy had probably gone for some fresh air. He opened his eyes fully for a minute, quickly adjusting to the moonlight. He watched the raindrops dance on his tent. One stray raindrop split into two on the top of his tent, tumbling down each side slowly.

Tomorrow, Ash and friends would be arriving in Terracotta town before he headed back to Pallet town for a well-deserved rest after the Battle Frontier. He knew that a good night sleep was necessary before all his friends parted ways.

He was just about to roll over and go back to sleep, when he heard a light cough and a low whisper to the far left side of his tent.

Being careful not to wake the others close by, he slowly slid himself out of his sleeping bag. Rubbing his eyes, he slipped on his shoes, trousers, sweat-shirt and jacket.

He stepped out of the tent and gently zipped it back up. The noise originated from far ahead, where May was watching the dark sky from a perch on the hill - a perfect viewpoint of the lower valley. Looking closer, Ash noticed Pikachu nestled within May's jacket, one ear poking out at an angle.

The rain was only a light drizzle, but Ash thought it was odd that May would be sat out here alone. He squinted at his wrist watch. It read 3:45am. Grimacing, he crept up to the girl on her grassy perch.

"Hey May." He whispered from behind, startling her. "Got something on your mind?"

She shook her head awkwardly, clearly caught off guard. The mouse chirped a quiet greeting to its trainer.

"How come you're up this early? And aren't you cold?"

She shrugged, a small smile appearing on her face as she looked down at Pikachu.  
"Have you ever woke up in the middle of the night just to watch the stars, Ash?"

"Uh... I don't think so, no." He responded with surprise, sitting down next to her. "I guess I've woken up super early when training though, right before the sun came up."

She just nodded, her eyes twinkling in the moonlight. Ash could tell that she was tired. She took in a steady breath and continued to stare across the valley.

He was tired too. He guessed that was why he couldn't stop staring at her.

May brushed the raindrops from the top of her hood.

"I used to do this a lot at the beginning of our journey, especially when I was feeling unsure." She brought her hand back down towards the ground beside her, absentmindedly twirling a few stems of grass between her fingers. "If I couldn't sleep, or if I was stressed about something, I could just sit out wherever we camped. It was nice."

Ash nodded understandingly.  
"I would have probably joined you more often, if my brain wasn't already focused on training and strategies within a second of waking up."

She laughed, finally taking her eyes off of the sky to glance at him.  
"That sounds like you."

He looked up at the patch of sky which had previously caught her attention. Although some of the night sky was blocked by clouds, there were patches of empty sky where the pinpoints of light shone through.

"Do you have your mind on training and strategies right now?" She continued.

"No," He responded instantly. "I was just worried about you. I noticed you were awake and thought I'd check on you."

She smiled once again, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.  
"Thank you." She said with pure sincerity. "I'm alright... it's just..." She looked up at him, clear concern on her face. "Tomorrow, we'll arrive in Terracotta town, and we'll part ways for... who knows how long. I just…" She threw her arms up, unable to express herself properly. "I don't want all this to end."

"It doesn't have to end," Ash pointed out. There was an awkward pause and May hesitated.

"Can I tell you the truth?" May asked, and Ash stayed silent waiting for her answer. "I... I'm planning to go to Johto, and travel with my rivals."

Ash was silent, musing over her words. She was braced for his response, but when no words came, she sighed and carried on.  
"Drew... Harley... Solidad... They're all heading to Johto, and if I don't go with them, I feel like-."

"Say no more." He responded, a small but sad smile on his face. "I understand."

Regardless, May continued.  
"I'm going to miss you guys, and all that you've taught me, but I need to stop relying on you guys so hard."

"May, you don't have to explain yourself." He chuckled lightly, although she could tell he was kind of disappointed.

I just thought you should be... the first to know."

He tried to catch her eye for a moment, reassuring her with an attempt to muster a genuinely happy smile.  
"May... I'm really proud of you."

"Really?" She asked, dumbfounded. Her face turning red. She'd never really expected to hear those words from Ash, and especially not in response to her decision to leave.

"I mean it. It takes a lot of guts to go it alone." He continued. "But I'll be honest, I'll be sad when you leave. I've never travelled with someone like you."

"What do you mean?"

"On my first journey, I was the one learning everything from Brock and Misty." He recalled, chuckling as he reminisced. "But this was different. This time, you were the one just starting out. From the moment I've known you, I've watched you grow into the person you are today… It's a nice feeling."

"Ash..." she whispered, close to tearing up. "You've done so much for me. I don't know how to thank you."

Ash just shrugged nonchalantly. As much as he wanted to take credit for the sake of his ego, he knew it was in equal parts down to both of them.  
"That's just what friends do for each other." He responded with a grin. "I hope that when you come back from Johto, you'll have new things to teach me!"

"I doubt that." She snorted, then hesitated. "You won't tell Max or Brock, will you? I'm going to tell them properly tomorrow."

"Don't worry. I promise I won't." Ash reassured, quickly putting her at ease.

Her attention quickly went back to the sky, noticing something out of the corner of her eye.  
"Ash, look!" She said, pointing upwards.

A star shot across the sky, darting through patches of cloud and clear sky. They watched in awe.

"I've never seen a shooting star that bright before." Ash whispered in amazement.  
May nodded in agreement.  
"You've got to make a wish." She murmured.

He watched her intently as she closed her eyes, unaware of Ash's look of amusement.  
"Do you really believe that a wish you made on a star will come true?" He asked inquisitively.

It took several moments for her to open her eyes again. She finally spoke up, clearing her throat. "When we first started travelling together, just you and me, I was nervous. I didn't want my dad, or you, to think I was weird for not wanting to do gym battles. I came out and just sat and watched the sky. It really comforted me. Since then, I've just done it again and again."

Ash nodded once again, not wanting to interrupt her train of thought. His amusement gave way to curiosity, and he was suddenly hooked on her every word.

"On the first night I met you, I sat out under the stars like this, and I made a wish." She glanced over to him, and noticed him staring at her in wonder. "I know that that one came true, so I guess I'm allowed to tell you about it now."

She stroked Pikachu's head, the Pokemon gently snoring under her jacket. She was considering her words carefully, Ash realised. Finally, she caught his eye.

"I wished that our journey would be something I would remember for the rest of my life, and that we would have great times together."

Ash blinked at her in surprise, feelings in his chest stirring up.  
"I didn't realise."

She just nodded, her cheeks red from the cold.  
They smiled at each other, an awkward pause building up between her and Ash's words.

"I don't know if it really makes wishes come true, or whatever." Ash considered aloud. "But I think if you believe something enough, you can make it happen, even if you don't realise it."

"What do you mean?"  
He turned to her once again.  
"I think this journey has been so great because you've helped to make it great. You realised your dream, and you're working so hard to achieve it."

"Wow..." She mumbled with a blush, looking down at Pikachu. "But you know... I couldn't have done any of that without you..."

She leaned up against him, putting her head on his shoulder.  
"Thank you, Ash."

Bewildered, he stayed completely still for a few moments, unsure how to react to her touch. They'd never even hugged, in all of their journey, and this was the closest they'd ever been together.

He felt the heat rising in his cheeks.  
"Uh... a-are you cold?" He stuttered. "You can have my jacket... or..."

"No... I'm alright." She yawned once again, nuzzling in closer to him. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Uh... not at all!" He said, flustered.

"Sometimes, I even get a visit from a certain Pokémon, and I get snuggles." She giggled quietly, stroking Pikachu behind the ears. Pikachu moved in between the two of them, attempting to get attention from both of them. "You always seem to know when I'm up early, don't you, Pikachu?"

Pikachu cooed excitedly at the attention. Ash was surprised once again, this being the first time he'd noticed that Pikachu and May had ever been gone.  
"I guess I do always have training on my mind..." he laughed sheepishly.

"Pikachu probably just wants to check I'm okay too. Like trainer, like Pokémon… I guess." She smiled, yawning.

"He's better than me at knowing when something is up, aren't you buddy?" Ash whispered. He looked up at the darkened sky, and felt his eyelids beginning grow heavy once again as he rested his head against hers. He'd finally relaxed.

"There's another one." May pointed out.  
A star streamed across the skyline, and May closed her eyes once again.  
 _'No matter where we are, no matter who we're with, I hope that me and Ash will never forget about each other.'_ May wished.

After a moment, she opened them, noticing Ash's eyes were closed. She realised Ash was making a wish too. She watched with surprise.  
 _'I wish May would always be as happy as she is in this moment.'_ Ash wished.

"Well, what did you wish for, Ash?"

"I thought you said telling would break the wish?" He replied with a wink. "I want my wish to come true, after all."

She just rolled her eyes, clearly beaten at her own game.  
"Fine, have it your way." She responded with mock annoyance.

"Maybe I'll tell you one day."

The sun was finally beginning to show on the horizon. The colours were phenomenal. The sky was on fire with pinks and oranges.

Looking at his watch again, Ash realised it had been an hour since he first came over to sit with her. Time had passed so quickly, the two of them just sitting there and talking.

"My mom always used to say that a pink sky in the morning was a bad sign for farmers." Ash murmured.

"Well... it's good that we're not farmers." She chuckled. "I can't see anything wrong with this moment."

He grinned at her comment. After finally coming clean with him about going to Johto, she seemed to have relaxed a lot. He wondered if she had been worried about telling him.

"How long have you been thinking about Johto?" Ash asked absentmindedly.  
"Not long. Why?"  
He shrugged.  
"Must have been a stressful decision to make."  
"Yeah." She responded quickly, wrapping her arms around one of his arms. "It took a while for me to consider it, and even longer considering how I was going to tell you all. I need to be strong for Max tomorrow."

"I'll try and act surprised." Ash said with a grin and put on a mocking voice. " _Oh, May… You're leaving? I-I can't believe you're leaving me like this… how will I ever survive without you… I love yo-_ "

"Don't you dare, Ash!" She cut him off, punching him on the arm with a laugh. She didn't admit it, but she probably wouldn't have minded if Ash had pretended to react like that. She laughed again at the thought about the looks on Brock and Max's faces if Ash had said that. "I have no idea how Max is gonna react, but I don't think he'll be too happy at first, and I think he'd be even more sad if he knew you knew before he did."

"It'll be fine." Ash responded cheerfully. "And even if it isn't, I'll talk to him."

Then it hit her, the full realisation of the words that Ash had nearly said. She sat up  
"W-wait… What did you say at the end?"  
"What? When?"  
"When you were joking around!" She cried out, trying to remind him.  
" _I won't survive without you_ or something?" He asked, with one eyebrow raised.

"No…" She said, a blush appearing on her face. "After that."  
He paused for a second, trying to recall his exact words.  
"Oh! _I love you_." He stated, so matter-of-factly that her heart almost stopped.  
"Oh." She choked out, unsure of what else to say in response.

"Why?" He asked.  
"I just wasn't sure what you said, that's all…" She murmured, fidgeting with the zip of her jacket. She was almost dumbstruck by Ash's naivety. How could he just say those words without even being aware of the connotations?

After a minute or so, she relaxed. That was just Ash, she remembered. That was just what he was like. She snuggled up to him once again, reminding herself that despite Ash's naivety, this was a step forwards for them. She'd never have imagined being this close to Ash before, and she wasn't even sure if she was still awake or just dreaming at this point. Most of all, she hadn't anticipated how _nice_ it would feel to be this close to him. It was really comforting, she decided, and she wished that they'd had more tender moments like this throughout their journey.

They watched the sun rise together, saying nothing for a short while. It wasn't often that Ash would notice the importance of moments like this, and although he didn't understand why, he felt like this moment between them was special. He spent the time glancing between May and the sky. She, however, understood the significance of it. A moment of vulnerability, shared only between the two of them. She wanted to preserve this moment forever.

"Ash?"  
"Yeah?"

She sat up and faced him directly, looking embarrassed, she stumbled over her words, twiddling her fingers.  
"I understand if you don't understand what I... um..."

He chuckled lightly. "What are you trying to say?"

She moved in quickly, pressing a light kiss on the boy's lips. So short, so gentle that Ash barely even had a chance to register it before she moved away.

"What was... that... for?" He mumbled, dazed.  
She shrugged, not really understanding it herself.

"I just thought... I wanted to have something that only we could share... to remember our last night together, y'know? Like our own little secret." She maintained eye contact with him, neither one of them able to pull away from the others gaze. "That was my first kiss, and... I just wanted you to understand that... you're really important to me, Ash."

"Well." He responded, finally registering fully what had just happened. "Then, I'm glad that we shared that."

"Really?"

"Of course." He affirmed. "Being someone's first kiss is pretty important, right?"

"To me, it is." She murmured. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"Our little secret." He promised with a grin. "Sure feels like we've shared a few tonight, huh?"  
"Yep." She giggled. "Thanks again, Ash."

The sun had fully risen now, illuminating the whole valley, and bringing the wild flowers in the fields below suddenly to life.

They sat in silence once again now, both contented. They knew that this private moment together was going to come to an end any moment, and the time that they had left together on their amazing journey was slipping away second by second.

Neither of them wanted to leave this hazy bubble of newfound closeness. They were both aware that things would have to be back to normal once Brock and Max awoke so that they didn't arouse any suspicions.

Ash still didn't understand how relationships worked, or the real reason why he and May had kissed before, but he understood that it was important to her, important to them both.

"Before this ends..." he murmured, before leaning in to kiss her once again. Although she was shocked, she reacted instantly, instinctively kissing him back. More a minute after Ash broke the kiss, they stayed close together, aware of nothing else but the sound of their breathing and their hearts thumping in their ears.

"There... Now you're the first person I've ever kissed, too." He said, breaking the silence.  
May breathed a sigh of happiness before nodding.

"Now you have no excuse to forget me, Ash Ketchum." She reminded him.

"I'll never forget, you can count on that."  
He paused, hearing the shuffle of movement from a nearby tent.

"I think that means it's time to go back to bed." Ash laughed quietly. They maintained eye contact for a minute longer, unable to say anything else. "Will you two be okay?"  
May looked down at Pikachu's approving smile before nodding.  
"We won't be out for much longer. Maybe just for a bit."

As Ash stood up, he pulled off his jacket, wrapping it around the girl's shoulders. He yawned once more.  
"Stay warm, okay? I don't want you to get a cold out here." He mumbled sleepily. "We've got a big day tomorrow, right?"

He walked back to his tent, and Pikachu snuggled up under May's jacket once again. She sighed contentedly, a mixture of feelings brewing within her.  
"Pika?"  
"Don't worry, I'm alright." She chuckled, picking Pikachu up in her arms. "But I think you have a great trainer, Pikachu."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered happily in agreement.

 ** _Sinnoh Region, Lake Valor – before the Wallace cup._**

That day had been an exciting one, filled with new friends, fun battles, and great food. So far, May's short excursion in the Sinnoh region had been action packed, and the next day would be even more exciting.

Ash and May had stayed on the balcony, promising everyone that they'd be back inside soon enough. They watched numerous Pokémon dance across the lake, unsure of how to start the conversation which they were both waiting for. The lake was so bright, that the sky around it seemed so much darker. Ash and May hadn't been alone together like this since the night before Terracotta town.

"It sure is a perfect night for watching the stars." May remarked. "It's too bad we have to be up early tomorrow for the Wallace Cup."

"Yeah... guess you're right." Ash sighed. "And we probably wouldn't be able to see the stars from anywhere around here anyway."

"Someday, we'll do it again." She continued dreamily. She turned towards him, spinning on her heel confidently. "It's great to see you again, Ash and Pikachu."  
"You too." He replied excitedly.  
"Pika pika!"

She stroked the top of Pikachu's head, causing the Pokémon to roll back onto the table with happiness.

"And I'm glad I finally got to meet Dawn after all that time we spent talking about her."

"She's great, right?" Ash cheered, and Pikachu chimed in agreement.  
"I hope that we'll both be able to get out of this slump."

They were both silent for a second, before Ash remembered something.  
"Hey, yeah!" He said in a subdued yell. "Why didn't you tell me you were having problems in Johto over the phone?"

"I didn't want to worry you, Ash." She responded, shrugging awkwardly. "But when I was talking to Dawn, I realised that she needed to hear it."

He placed a hand on her shoulder but avoided eye contact.  
"Next time. Please tell me."

She bowed her head, agreeing to his request.  
"It really isn't that bad. I promise." She argued, mirroring his concerned look.

She smiled in an attempt to bring out Ash's smile too.  
"It's just kinda hard without your positive attitude towards everything. When I was around you, it made things feel so much easier. Sometimes I'll be feeling kinda down, but then I get off the phone after talking to you and I'll always be pumped!"

He grinned.  
"That's great, May." He said with a sly smirk. "I didn't realise I'd had such an impact."

She rolled her eyes, beginning to blush from the attention.  
"You're kidding, right? I thought already know how much you matter to me." She responded, holding a hand to her heart.

"Well, yeah. But I'm just glad you still feel that way." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I guess I thought your feelings about me had worn off…"

"My… feelings?" May asked curiously.

"Yeah." He responded, raising an eyebrow. "All the stuff you said about how I always helped you and stuff?"

"Oh." She chuckled, a little embarrassed for ever thinking otherwise. Her heart was beating so fast. "Of course that hasn't changed."

She looked around the balcony, checking that the doors behind them were fully closed so that no one would overhear.  
"Can you believe we kissed that night?" May giggled. "Drew would have a heart attack if he knew that."

Ash opened his mouth in surprise.  
"You and Drew-?"  
"Oh, no." She said, waving her hands in dismissal. "But he still tries. He always gives me roses and stuff."

He just nodded, a strange sensation of relief washing over him.

She sighed silently. Trust Ash to notice when something might be happening between her and Drew, but never notice when something might be happening between them, she thought to herself.

She had thought that their last night together in Kanto had just been a fluke, and it was unlikely they'd ever share such tender moments again. She'd convinced herself during all time she'd been thinking about Ash in Johto, or talking to him on the phone, that it was only because he inspired her to do better.  
But now that they found themselves alone on this balcony, she found those intense feelings building up once again, and she began to question what these feelings really meant.

In a moment of pure impulse, she reached over for his hand, gently interlocking their fingers together. He gawked at her, confounded, but quickly responded by squeezing her hand. He coughed awkwardly, and she just laughed once again.

"Maybe we should…" He murmured before trailing off, finally making eye contact with her. He didn't need to say it. That pull which had brought them together on their last night together in Kanto was back, in full force. They both gulped, suddenly aware of how close they were standing together. Ash realised his mouth was so dry.

He decided to finally break the silence - the tension was too much to bear.  
"I-I think that I've missed you quite a lot." He stammered, but that just made the tension even more unbearable.

She smiled, squeezing his hand in return.  
"I've missed you a lot too."

Finally, when the tension reached its breaking point, they leaned in.  
"Ash…" She whimpered, just before their lips touched.

The door handle behind them suddenly jolted and they both jumped backwards, separating themselves completely.  
It was Dawn, yawning.  
"Are you two coming in any time soon? I'm heading back to our room now, May."

"Uhhhh… yeah! Just a minute!" May called out, blushing furiously. Out of nowhere, she started laughing.  
"Are you okay?" She asked wide-eyed, genuinely concerned at May's maniacal laughter.  
"Yeah!" Ash blurted, his voice cracking slightly. He coughed, clearing his throat. "We're fine. We'll come back in a couple of minutes."

Dawn just nodded, her eyebrows still raised as she closed the door. Ash and May both breathed a sigh of relief.

"You do realise that if Dawn had seen that, we'd never have heard the end of it, right?" Ash croaked.  
"Yup!" May responded, giggling again.

They'd been so caught up in each other that they hadn't even noticed Pikachu was sound asleep on the table, clearly bored of their antics.

The two of them settled down once again, staring into each other's eyes for a moment before May looked down. Their moment had been ruined, but that didn't mean she'd stopped feeling anything.

She didn't understand Ash's feelings for her, and she wasn't even sure she understood her own feelings about him. For now, she knew that Ash had other things to focus on, and so did she. She would do her best to become and top coordinator but cheer Ash on at every opportunity, and vice versa.

She was suddenly struck with a familiar dilemma, similar to her decision to leave for Johto in the first place. She knew the answer before she even asked the question, and sighed to herself. Of course she couldn't stay in Sinnoh, as fun as this all was. She needed to get the rest of her ribbons, and try her luck at the Johto Grande Festival. Maybe one day, she and Ash would be reunited for another adventure.

She wished that maybe one day, these moments between her and Ash would become more than just moments.

That was the second she finally came to terms with her feelings for Ash, and the same second that she realised she couldn't do anything about it.

"In a few days, I'm going back to Johto…" She whispered. "So, maybe it's better if we don't do… that."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, clueless. He was longing to be close to her again, but he didn't understand why.

"Since the last time we… kissed… I've not been able to stop thinking about it." She smiled sadly at him. "I think if it happens more, I'll never want to leave."

He nodded wistfully. She moved in and hugged him, leaning her head against his shoulder. He responded instantly, putting his arms around her waist.  
"I understand." He replied, stroking her back.

In the quietest voice, he gently whispered: "I didn't forget, either. I think about it all the time."

She hugged him even harder, trying and failing to stop her tears from flowing. Why was he so inconveniently naïve when it didn't matter, but so acutely aware when it did?  
"Me too…" She sobbed.

When they parted, she covered her face with her arm. He was about to ask if she was okay, but she just waved her free hand and nodded. She wiped her tears away, taking a moment to steady her breathing before looking at him once again.

"You're a great guy, Ash." She said with a warm smile. "But right now, I've gotta focus on beating my rivals in Johto, and I'll be cheering for you and Dawn here every step of the way."

He felt a combination of butterflies and excitement build up within him, his fire reignited by her determination.  
"Right!" He squeaked in agreement. "We can do this!"

She petted the sleeping Pikachu, waking the Pokémon up to say goodnight, before turning back to Ash.

"Anyway, we're gonna have fun at the Wallace Cup tomorrow, right?"  
Pikachu and Ash both cheered at this, and May laughed. She felt like she was giving a pep talk.

"You bet, May." Ash responded. "Let's do our best tomorrow."

She planted a small kiss on his cheek. She watched his eyes flicker between her eyes and her lips before they both sighed simultaneously. This would be much harder than they thought.

"Someday." She said once again with an optimistic smile, running her hand over his shoulder as she walked away.

When he was left on his own, he looked up at the sky. He let out a shaky breath. Seeing her cry had made him want to cry, but he had stayed strong. If she could wait, then he could too.

He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but he was certain that he could see the smallest dots of light in the night sky above him.  
"Someday…" He breathed.

 _ **Several years later**_

Somewhere in Sinnoh, a blue eyed girl sat out in a flowery meadow under the stars.  
She smiled at the memory of the tender moments they shared together while clutching half a ribbon in her hand. Thinking about him always filled her with warmth.  
"Where ever you are now, I hope you haven't forgotten about me."

Somewhere in Alola, a dark haired boy sat out on a beach under the stars.  
He stared at the other half of the split ribbon in his hand. It was always a symbol patience and determination to him, and he brought it with him everywhere.  
"Where ever you are now, I hope you're happy."


End file.
